The field of the invention is an emergency stopping system for a child""s recreational vehicle. In particular, the present invention provides an emergency stopping system for a child""s powered vehicle.
Children enjoy riding on powered recreational vehicles. Because children have a limited set of experiences, they might not know to stop the vehicle when a dangerous situation presents itself. Also, because children have limited coordination and dexterity, they might not be able to stop the vehicle quickly enough in situations where they know they should stop the vehicle. For these reasons, it is desirable for an adult or an older child to be able to quickly stop the vehicle.
Some recreational vehicles have stopping devices attached to passengers such that when a passenger falls out of the vehicle, the stopping device goes with the passenger, cutting off the supply of power to the vehicle. The problem with these stopping devices is that they are not preventative of danger. A child must fall out before the power supply is cut off. For this reason, a mechanism for stopping the vehicle before the child falls out is desired. For example, it is desired that as soon as a supervisory person recognizes danger, the supervisory person can cut off the power supply to the vehicle.
Some other recreational vehicles have stopping devices attached to a supervisory person outside the vehicle. The problem with these devices is that the supervisory person needs to stay alongside the vehicle the entire time the vehicle is moving. It is desirable for a supervisory person to have greater flexibility and a wider range of motion than is allowed by a physical attachment to a stopping device on a vehicle.
The design of the present invention overcomes many of the above-identified problems with existing emergency stopping systems for children""s powered recreational vehicles.
In one aspect of the invention, a child""s powered recreational vehicle comprises a power supply that powers the vehicle, and an emergency stopping mechanism. The emergency stopping mechanism comprises an electrical kill switch on the vehicle. The switch has a first position wherein the power supply is permitted to power the vehicle, and a second position wherein the power supply is not permitted to power the vehicle. There is a switch-flipping mechanism on the vehicle such that it the mechanism is accessible to persons outside the vehicle, but the mechanism is detached from persons outside the vehicle.
In another aspect of the invention, a combination of a child""s powered recreational vehicle and an emergency stopping mechanism is provided. The emergency stopping mechanism comprises an electrical kill switch on the vehicle. The switch has a first position wherein the powered vehicle is permitted to run and a second position wherein the powered vehicle is not permitted to run. There is a switch-flipping mechanism on the vehicle such that the mechanism is accessible to persons outside the vehicle, but the mechanism is detached from persons outside the vehicle during normal operation of the vehicle.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of stopping a child""s running powered recreational vehicle is provided. The method involves providing a running powered recreational vehicle with a kill switch, the switch having a first position wherein the vehicle remains running and a second position wherein power is terminated. The method involves monitoring operation of the vehicle without having continuous physical contact with the vehicle. The method further involves flipping the kill switch using a switch-flipping mechanism on the vehicle from outside the vehicle, whereby power is immediately cut off.
The present invention provides the foregoing and other features, and the advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.